The contempt judge for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), Nicola Lettieri, has ruled that the STL does not have jurisdiction to hear cases against legal persons (corporate entities, parties, associations) after examining the preliminary defense motions presented in the case of contempt of court against Al-Akhbar and its Editor-in-Chief Ibrahim al-Amin. The judge has decided to restrict the trial to Amin and not Al-Akhbar

The contempt judge had already issued a similar decision on July 24, 2014, ruling that the tribunal does not have jurisdiction to prosecute Al-Jadeed TV, and restricted the trial to deputy news and political programs manager, Karma al-Khayat.

However, on October 2, an STL appeals panel revoked Lettieri’s decision – with Lebanese panel member Judge Walid Akoum dissenting and warning of the political repercussions of such a decision – and restored the STL’s jurisdiction to prosecute both Al-Akhbar and Al-Jadeed.

The amicus curiae prosecutor is expected to appeal Lettieri’s decision regarding Al-Akhbar, and the appeals panel is thought to issue a decision similar to its previous one, ultimately paving the way for the tribunal to prosecute Al-Akhbar, Amin, Al-Jadeed, and Khayat.